Autism is a neural development disorder which inhibits the normal growth and development of a child within a social environment. An autistic person finds it difficult to socially communicate with people and can’t relate to social norms in a way a normal person can. Autism is caused when the neuron synaptic junctions in the brain fail to develop normally due to a chromosomal deficiency. These junctions are responsible for normal cognition and recognition abilities. As they remain underdeveloped in an autistic patient, their cognitive processes are also inhibited.

The signs and symptoms of autism are visible right from childhood. In children showing signs of autism, all the regular milestones like responding to his/her name, reciprocating a gesture like a smile, development of speech etc. are delayed by a few months or some of them might never happen at all. But again, all these are vague indicators of the presence of autism. There are no clinical pathological tests which can confirm the diagnosis of the disorder even among adults. It can be diagnosed only by analysing abnormal behaviour patterns and impaired social communication abilities.

In the United States of America, the prevalence of autism is estimated at 9 per 1000 people while it is about 1-2 per 1000 people across the globe. Interestingly, there was a rapid increase in the number of autistic people from the year 1990 to 2000. This increase has largely been attributed to a change in diagnostic means and the acceptance of a broader definition of autism within medical circles.

People suffering from autism require specialised care and attention all through their lives. Strictly speaking, there is no medically proven cure for autism though the intensity of the symptoms can be reduced by proper medication and therapy. Different approaches have been established to manage autism – some involve speech and language therapy while others involve applied behavior analysis. The major objective however remains the same – improving the quality of the life of the patients and making them as independent as is possible.

Autism shares some of its symptoms and other features with Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – not otherwise specified, all of which fall under the category of Autism Spectrum Disorders or ASD’s.

Autism Thesis Statement Examples:

* There is a huge debate about how to approach autism. One faction believes that autism patients should be treated as suffering from a neurological disorder. The other faction insists that autism should be accepted as a difference and people suffering from it should be treated accordingly.

* Several studies have shown that people suffering from autism are more prone to violence and aggressive behaviour. However, some other studies seem to contradict this generally accepted view declaring that those autistic patients who show signs of violence also show symptoms of other forms of psychosis.

* There is no real consensus among the medical fraternity regarding autism statistics. This discord is a result of the differential diagnosis methods employed for the detection of autism.

* Some experts believe that environmental factors like mercury poisoning, dietary habits and vaccine sensitivity can cause autism. However, none of these theories have been convincingly proven.

* The rise of autism specific parent organizations and support groups has helped in the overall well-being of students suffering from autism in American schools.

* Government needs to do more to tackle the problem of childhood autism – an analysis of the budget allocation towards autism research in the last twenty years.

* Treatment alone cannot provide relief to students with autism. Complete support of family, teachers and classmates can help a great deal.

* Because autism in children leads to family distress, treatment program should cover the family of the autism affected children.

* Vaccination of children is a must. However, some parents believe that certain vaccines are not safe and may cause autism to their children.